Front Yard Landscaping Ideas:
Tips on How to Begin

Front yard landscaping ideas are a great way to figure out how to lay out your front yard for maximum curb appeal without breaking the bank. There are several things to consider before getting started.
Before you begin, here are some photos for inspiration. Most of these properties are in the southern United States. The climate here is quite sunny and warm.


These homeowners picked their plants carefully and incorporated several native species. These particular selections will be low maintainence and require very little irrigation.

Planning Considerations
One of the first things to consider when planning out your front yard is to get a clear understanding of the rules and restrictions that your homeowner's association has in place.

Front yard landscaping ideas need to conform to these rules in order to avoid wasted time and money. Many neighborhoods have very detailed rules that homeowners have to follow in order ensure a uniform appearance. As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to understand these restrictions before you start tearing up your yard.

Most front yards are not used for entertaining or relaxing, instead they are used to highlight the structural design of your house and present an appealing visual for you as well as your neighbors. This creates its own set of challenges. Many front yards in established neighborhoods will have large, mature trees spread throughout. This provides an established appearance as well as shade during the heat of the summer. Established trees are expensive to remove and are difficult to replace, so give careful thought before you remove an old tree. An exception to this is if the tree is either diseased or has grown in a dangerous position around the house--in this case, you would be well advised to remove the tree before you start doing other improvements.

Shrubs are a different story. Many front yards utilize smaller shrubs as accents around walkways and other features. If you are planting shrubs, it is important to consider the growth rate and spread of the bush over time. Frequently, people will over-plant shrubs and before long they need to be thinned or removed in order to keep a tidy appearance. Front yard landscaping should be organized and neat.

Grass and flowers usually take the most amount of work. As our leisure time continues to diminish many homeowners are rethinking grass and high maintenance flowers. There are many options that can create a great appearance without the work. One option is to use decorative stone. This solution uses a weed mat and is then covered with a few inches of either river rock or crushed stone. This provides an affordable, low-maintenance alternative to grass.

The number of options available for use in front yard landscaping are limitless, but if you give some thought to developing a master plan, you will be able to develop a front yard that you can be proud of.

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